Belle Vue (Doncaster)

Belle Vue was the home of English professional football club Doncaster Rovers from 1922 to 2006. It was located in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The ground was affectionately called by fans 'Old Belle Vue' or OBV. HistoryThe ground was opened by Charles E. Sutcliffe from the Football League on Saturday, 26 August 1922. The opposition was Gainsborough Trinity. The initial capacity was for 7, 000 spectators, which was extended year-on-year as finances allowed. In 1927 the main stand at Doncaster's former ground in the suburb of Bennetthorpe was jacked up and moved on rollers to Belle Vue to form the family stand, where it remained until 1985 when the tragic events at Valley Parade, Bradford meant that the old wooden structure was deemed unsafe and was demolished. In 1938 the capacity of Belle Vue was increased to 40, 000 and it was in 1948 that the stadium recorded its highest attendance of 37, 099 against Hull City, although apocryphal accounts refute this and claim that many more gained entry to the ground by climbing over walls and thus avoided having to pay. Rovers decline and 1995 fireIn the later years of the 20th century, as the club's fortunes began to decline and finances became tighter, the capacity of Belle Vue was cut dramatically, falling as low as 4, 859 in May 1987 when mining subsidence was found underground beneath the Popular Stand terrace.

Belle Vue was the home of English professional football club Doncaster Rovers from 1922 to 2006. It was located in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The ground was affectionately called by fans 'Old Belle Vue' or OBV. HistoryThe ground was opened by Charles E. Sutcliffe from the Football League on Saturday, 26 August 1922. The opposition was Gainsborough Trinity. The initial capacity was for 7, 000 spectators, which was extended year-on-year as finances allowed. In 1927 the main stand at Doncaster's former ground in the suburb of Bennetthorpe was jacked up and moved on rollers to Belle Vue to form the family stand, where it remained until 1985 when the tragic events at Valley Parade, Bradford meant that the old wooden structure was deemed unsafe and was demolished. In 1938 the capacity of Belle Vue was increased to 40, 000 and it was in 1948 that the stadium recorded its highest attendance of 37, 099 against Hull City, although apocryphal accounts refute this and claim that many more gained entry to the ground by climbing over walls and thus avoided having to pay. Rovers decline and 1995 fireIn the later years of the 20th century, as the club's fortunes began to decline and finances became tighter, the capacity of Belle Vue was cut dramatically, falling as low as 4, 859 in May 1987 when mining subsidence was found underground beneath the Popular Stand terrace.